Compare Wine Barcode Readers

USB Barcode reader

The USB scanner is the simplest and cheapest - you just plug in and go. The only downside is that you have to bring every bottle to the computer when you are adding or uncorking wines. In reality, you have to have the bottle at the computer anyway when adding so you can enter the vintage - most wine UPC codes are the same for every vintage of that wine - so it is only when uncorking or doing an inventory check (or if you hate wires on the desk) that wireless scanners become your scanner of choice

CCD Wireless Barcode Reader

Rechargeable batteries - so charge before use, then you can put the lead away. Press and hold the trigger for about 5 seconds to turn it on or off, then scan each barcode in turn.

A wireless barcode scanner really comes into its own when doing an inventory check - simply take into the cellar and scan each bottle. (To do an inventory check, save your cellar to a temporary cellar, then scan every bottle to remove all wines from the temporary cellar - at the end you should have zero wines)

If the computer is not connected when you scan the barcode, or out of range, (or the USB bluetooth receiver is unplugged) the scanner automatically switches to batch mode and remembers what you have scanned so you can scan all the bottles, come to your pc, start the barcode wizard then press the trigger to uncork every barcode you have scanned at once

Laser Wireless Barcode Reader

Really the ultimate barcode reader - much like the handheld scanners you see at retail checkouts. As per the CCD wireless canner it has rechargeable batteries - so charge before use, then you can put the lead away.

Unlike the other scanners - where you have to virtually be touching the barcode for the scanner to read - the laser scanner allows you to point at the barcode up to a range of about 13 inches. This makes it faster and definitely easier to use when actually scanning barcoded wine tags or wine UPC barcodes on the bottle.